From his corner office towering 20 floors above midtown Manhattan, Mitchell Modell had a phone conversation that would forever change his life.

Executives from CBS’s Emmy award-winning show reached out wanting Mr. Modell to be the next “Undercover Boss”. He initially refused, assuming there was no way he could work in his 150-store chain without being recognized.

After being assured that the “Undercover Boss” makeup team was among the best in the business, he agreed…

… a monumental decision that changed the course of his life, and the direction of Modell’s Sporting Goods forever.

Employees featured on the show were generously rewarded in life-altering ways, but we won’t give away the details in case you haven’t seen the original episode yet.

Mitchell himself has lost nearly 70 lbs after struggling to perform the rigorous duties required in the warehouses during the July 2012 filming. And several improvements were made to the company’s business practices allowing them to prevent burnout, increase employee recognition and achieve a more balanced workload.

Are you wondering how a reality TV show can have such a cathartic effect? Grab some tissue and find out for yourself.